Safe-protecting device



Mmh 2s 1926. I -J. M. FITZGERALD SAFE rnowac'rme bsvxc's Fil ed May 12,1925 2- Sheets-Shoot 1 lll'llrllllliullvllu ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23,1926.

uNlTEDsTA'r s PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. FITZGERALD, or MADISON, WISCONSIN.

sArn-raornctrme DEVICE.

Application filed May 12, 1925. Serial no. 29,808.

To all whom. may concern: ,7

Be it known that I, JOHN M. F irzoinzano, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Madison, in the county of Danea-nd State i ofW'isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafe-Protecting Devices, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to devices adapted to be attached to or enclosedin the doors or other parts of safes and the like, to protect thecontents thereof from burglars and other unauthorized persons who mayattempt to gain access to the safe by violence, and has for one of itsobjects to provide a holder of simple and novel constructionqforacoutainer of fragile material containing a compound or substancecapable of creating and diffusing poisonous or noxious vapors when thecontainer is shattered by the violent opening of the safe, and thusforcing the criminal to flee. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims, and in'the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device constructed forattachment to the inner face of asafe door or other portion of theinterior of the safe.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section onthe line 8-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the enclosing and protecting shell forthe holder.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the holder for the fragile container forthe compound to produce the noxious gas.

-Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5 with the container inposition therein. t

Figure 7 is a sectional View of a portion of the wall of a safeincluding a side view of a portion of the door, with the improvedprotecting device attached thereto.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a portion of the safe door shown in Figure 1,with a plan view of the protecting device.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure illustrating the manner of applyingthe improved device to the interior of a safe door.

Figure 10 is a section on the line 10 10 of Figure 9, enlarged.

The improved holder is preferably of sheet metal, and comprises a. bodyportion 10, preferably send-cylindrical transversely, and havinglaterally directed reinforcing flanges 11. The holder is designed toreceive a receptacle indicated at 12 for a compound or substance capableof generating and diffusing a noxious vapor when released by thedestruction of the receptacle, the lat ter constructed of-fragilematerial, such as relatively thin glass and readily breakable byconcussion, such for instance," as would be produced by the blowing openof the door of the safe by burglars, or the like.

The container 12 is retained in position in the holder by strap devices18 each preferably of sheet metal and passed at one end through anaperture in one of the flanges and attached to the body 10 by soldering,

electric welding or the like as indicated at 14, and bent around theouter portion of the container 12 and outturned as shown at 15 andbearing over the other flange, and secured thereto by bolts or screws16.

. A pad 17 of felt or the like is interposed between the body 10 and thecontainer to cushion the latter, and prevent premature fracture whilebeing transported or installed. Attached at 18 to the rear face of thebody portion 10 of the holder, is a supporting bar 19 with its endsoutturned in advance of the device to the inner face of the door orother portion ofa safe, as represented in Figures 7 and 8.

A protecting. shield or guard preferably of sheet metal is disposed overthe holder and its supporting bar and is constructed as shown in Figure4, and is formed of an outer side 21, spaced sides 2223, the for wardedges of the sides 22 and 23 being cut away as indicated at 26 and 27 toprovide for the free circulation of air and likewise to permit the fumesor vapors to escape when the receptacle 12 is shattered.

The outturned portion of the holding bar 19 bears against the innerfaces of the ends 24 and of .the shield, and are secured thereto byrivets 28, or the like.

The forward edges of the ends 2425 of the shield are notched as shown at29 in Figure t, to receive the terminals 20 of the holding bar.

In Figures 7 and 8 the device is shown attached to the inner face of thedoor of a safe, indicated conventionally at 30, and preferably oppositethe combination lock, the knob of which is indicated at 31.

lVhen applied to a safe having an inner lining of fire proof material,indicated couventionally at 32, a recess or seat, indicated at 33, isformed in the inner face of the lining, as shown in Figures 9 and 10,and the holder without the bar 19 or the shield, is inserted in therecess, and fastening screws 84: employed to attach the holder to thelining.

The lining 32 being generally of lire brick material or thelike, will beprovided with wood blocks, indicated at 35, to receive the holdingscrews, the latter being preferably passed through the same holes bywhich the fastening devices of the bar 19 are secured.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensivelymanufactured, and applied to various forms and sizes of safes and likedevices, and may be applied to the larger safes or vaults in banks,trustcompanies, and other fiduciary institutions, railway and otherotfices and the like, or to the smaller safes used in homes and OffiCQS'or factories.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be un derstood thatmodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe construction without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the character set forth comprising, a shield in the formof an elongated casing open throughout one side and having the free sideedges thereof recessed, neans for retaining the open face of said casingagainst a supporting wall, a semi circular supporting body secured insaid ments extending across said container and secured'to said lateralside edges.

3. A holder of the class described including an outwardly opening bodyto receive a container and having laterally directed attaching flanges,a plurality of strap devices of bendable material each attachedat oneend to one of said flanges and bearing over the other flange'and adaptedto enclose the container, a protecting shell in which said body and itscontainer are received. and with air passages in certain of its walls, asupporting bar attached to the body .with the tern'iinals bent outwardlyand'thence longi tudinally to provide means for attaching the shell andthe holder enclosed thereby to a support, and fastening devicesoperating through the outturned portions of the bar and the ends of theshell. f e

4. A device of the character set forth comprising,a shield in the formof an elongated casing open throughout one side and having the free sideedges thereof recessed, means for retaining the open face of said casingagainst a supporting wall, a semi-circular supporting body suspended insaid casing by said retaining means, means formed upon said body forholding the same against side movement in the casing, a frangible container, and means for securing said container in the concave side ofsaid body.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

JOHN M. FITZGERALD.

